THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you very much.
(Applause.) Well, thank you. And thank you for that warm welcome.
It's great to be back in Illinois. I've been looking forward to this
event. When Denny invited me he said, it will be a fun night, just
dinner with a few of our closest friends. (Laughter.) Turns out Denny
and Jean Hastert have a lot of great friends, and Lynne and I are proud
to be among them tonight. (Applause.)

I just finished the last two days campaigning. I came to
Washington this afternoon. But I've been in West Virginia, Arkansas,
Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon in recent days. We're now just 45 days from
one of the most important elections in our history. And I'm convinced
when Americans make their decision on November 2nd, the American people
will once again elect a Republican Congress and President George W.
Bush. (Applause.)

And I'm honored to join all of you this evening. I've run into
some friends of my own this evening, including a former member of my
vice presidential staff, Ethan Hastert. Ethan, you can have your old
job back any time you want. (Laughter.) Talent and character run in
the family, and Ethan was a great member of my team. It's good to see
Congressman Don Manzullo tonight. Don. (Applause.) As well as Judy
Barr Topinka. Judy. (Applause.) And any time you want to polka, you
call me, all right? (Laughter.)

But I also want to thank everybody who worked so hard to make this
dinner a success. And most of all, I want to thank the people of the
14th district for sending Denny Hastert to Washington to be our
speaker. (Applause.) Now, Denny and I got to know each other back in
the '80s when we served together in the House of Representatives. Back
in those days, Denny was not planning on becoming Speaker of the
House. Truth be told, that was my ambition. I wanted to be Speaker.
As it turned out, Denny rose to the great office and I had to settle
for second best and preside over the Senate. (Laughter.) Don't tell
my Senate friends that.

But I do have certain official duties as the President of the
Senate, most of which involve sitting and saying nothing. That's my
job every January during the State of the Union address, where I sit up
there on the rostrum right next to the Speaker of the House behind the
President. We try hard not to draw attention to ourselves, but it's
not easy. When you put Dick Cheney and Denny Hastert together, it's
hard to contain all that charisma. (Laughter and applause.)

Denny is the sixth Speaker of the House I've been privileged to
know. In fact, because of our great interest in history, my wife,
Lynne, and I actually wrote a book together about the Speaker's office
and some of the men who have held it. The book is called Kings of the
Hill. It's still a popular selection at garage sales. (Laughter.)
But I came to have a very special admiration for one of the great 19th
century Speakers, Henry Clay. Clay had his share of adversaries. But
reading about him and his times, I learned a thing or two about getting
along and winning over the opposition. Listen to what John C. Calhoun
had to say about him. He said, "I don't like Henry Clay. He's a bad
man, an imposter, a creator of wicked schemes. I wouldn't speak to
him, but, by God, I love him." (Laughter.) A nice thought I guess,
but something tells me that neither of those guys managed to change the
tone in Washington.

If you spend any time in politics, it doesn't take long to
recognize all the different kinds of personality and style, and all the
different ways legislators go about their work, and how they try to
achieve their goals. Some are convinced that the only way to get
things done is to be aggressive, pound on the table, throw elbows, make
threats, and play for the evening news, and the morning headlines. And
sometimes I suppose that works. But there's another way to go about
things, a quieter kind of leadership that gets results, builds respect
and goodwill across party lines, and makes the system work a lot better
in the long run. And that's the way Speaker Hastert does his job.
Today in Washington -- (applause) -- today in Washington, both
Democrats and Republicans will tell you it's a better Congress because
Denny Hastert is the Speaker of the House. (Applause.)

Here in his home state, you've known Denny as a great teacher, an
admired coach, an outstanding representative in Springfield. And you
know the character of the man, his faith in God, his complete
integrity, and the unfailing courtesy and decency that he shows to
others. Out in Washington, we see those qualities in Denny every day.
In a town known for grandstanding, Denny doesn't mind working long,
hard hours behind the scenes to build a consensus. In a town where
trust is sometimes hard to build, everybody knows that Denny Hastert
delivers on his commitments and always keeps his word. (Applause.)

I count it an honor to work with him and to be his friend, and
there's an awful lot of people in Washington who feel exactly the same
way. You won't find a person more widely respected in the Nation's
Capital than Speaker Denny Hastert. (Applause.)

President Bush and I came to office four years ago with great goals
for the country. And to achieve them, we needed strong effective
allies on Capitol Hill. Thanks in large part to the Speaker's
leadership, these years of challenge for America have also been years
of real accomplishment. Working together, we passed the largest
federal tax relief in a generation. Working together -- (Applause.)
Working together, we strengthened Medicare, providing a prescription
drug benefit for the first time ever for our seniors. Working
together, we've reorganized the government to better protect our
homeland. And working together, we've given the United States military
the tools they need and the respect they deserve. (Applause.)

In this campaign, we're running on more than a good record.
President Bush has a clear, forward-looking strategy to build a more
hopeful America and a safer world. Our President -- (Applause.) Our
President understands the changing times we live in and the need for
policies that help Americans find new opportunities and pursue their
dreams. Our President also understands the power of liberty to
transform nations, and to bring a future of hope and peace. We're
looking forward to talking about that vision over the next 45 days.
We're looking forward to November 2nd, when we once again elect George
W. Bush President for four more years. (Applause.)

A presidential election is always an extremely important event, and
this election could not come at a more crucial time in our history.
Today we face an enemy every bit as determined to destroy us as the
Axis powers were in World War II. This is not an enemy we can reason
with, or negotiate with, or appease. This is, to put it simply, an
enemy that we must destroy. And that's exactly what we will do with
George W. Bush as President. (Applause.)

I'm sure many of you heard Rudy Giuliani's remarks at the
Republican convention. Rudy remembered that after the attacks on his
city, on 9/11, he turned at one point to his police commissioner,
Bernie Kerik, and said, "Thank God George W. Bush is our President."
(Applause.)

Under the President's leadership, we have reached around the world
to capture and kill hundreds of Al Qaeda. In Afghanistan, the camps
where terrorists trained to kill Americans have been shut down, the
Taliban driven from power. In Iraq, we dealt with a gathering threat,
and removed the regime of Saddam Hussein. (Applause.) Seventeen
months ago, he controlled the lives and the fortunes of 25 million
people. Tonight, he sits in jail. (Applause.)

President Bush does not deal in empty threats and half-way
measures, and his determination has sent a very clear message. Just
five days after Saddam Hussein was captured, the government of Libya
agreed to abandon its nuclear weapons program and turn the materials
over to the United States. Tonight, the uranium, the centrifuges, and
the design for nuclear weapons that were once hidden in Libya are
locked up and stored away, down at Oak Ridge, in Tennessee, never again
to threaten anyone. (Applause.)

The biggest danger we face today is having nuclear weapons fall
into the hands of terrorists. The President is working with many
countries on a global effort to end the trade and transfer of these
deadly technologies. The most important result thus far -- and a very
important one -- is that the black-market network that supplied nuclear
weapons technology to Libya, as well as to Iran and North Korea, has
been shut down. And the world's worst source of proliferation is out
of business. We're all safer as a result. (Applause.)

We could not have succeeded in these efforts without the help of
dozens of countries around the world. We will always seek
international support for international efforts, but as President Bush
has made very clear, there is a difference between leading a coalition
of many nations and submitting to the objections of a few. We will
never seek a permission slip to defend the United States of America.
(Applause.)

America faces a choice on November 2nd between a strong and
steadfast President with a proven record and his opponent, who seems to
adopt a new position every day. Recently, John Kerry gave us what I
think is his eighth position on the war. He said that Iraq was, quote,
"the wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time." Except it turns
out that is really somebody else's position. It's former Democratic
Primary Candidate Howard Dean's position. And nine months ago when
Howard Dean took that position during the primaries, Senator Kerry
jumped on him, and said, and I quote: "Those who doubted whether Iraq
or the world would be better off without Saddam Hussein, and those who
believe today that we are not safer with his capture, don't have the
judgment to be President or the credibility to be elected President."
(Applause.) In the spirit of bipartisanship, this is one position of
Senator Kerry's I agree with. (Laughter and applause.)

But in all the national campaigns I have watched up close, I have
never seen a candidate go back and forth so many times on a single
issue. All the shifts Senator Kerry has made are troubling, but there
is one that really stands out. It starts with Senator Kerry and his
running mate, Senator Edwards, voting in favor of using force against
Saddam Hussein. But then, when it came time to vote for funds that
would provide our fighting men and women with body armor, ammunition,
jet fuel, and spare parts, Senators Kerry and Edwards voted no.

Only 12 members of the United States Senate opposed the funding
that would provide vital resources for the troops. Only four senators
voted for the use of force and against the resources our men and women
in uniform needed once they were in combat. Only four. Senators Kerry
and Edwards were two of those four.

At first Senator Kerry said that he didn't really oppose the
funding. He both supported and opposed it. (Laughter.) He said, and
I quote, "I actually voted for the $87 billion before I voted against
it." (Laughter.) That certainly clears things up. (Laughter.) But
lately he's been saying he's proud that he and John Edwards voted no,
and he explains his decision was "complicated."

But funding American troops in combat should never be a complicated
question. (Applause.) This week, while speaking to the National Guard
Association, John Kerry said that our troops deserve no less than the
best. But I am stunned by the audacity of that statement since it was
John Kerry who voted to send our troops into combat and then voted to
deny them the support they needed once they were at war. We need a
President who will back our troops 100 percent, and that's exactly what
we've got in George W. Bush. (Applause.)

Senator Kerry said that leadership starts with telling the truth.
But the American people know that true leadership also requires the
ability to make a decision. True leadership is sticking with a
decision in the face of political pressure, and true leadership is
standing for your principles regardless of your audience or who've just
hired on as a political advisor. (Applause.) Senator Kerry said he
would always be straight with the American people on the good days and
on the bad days. In his case, that means when the headlines are good,
he's for the war. And when his poll numbers are bad, he's against it.
This constant back-and-forth may be a good strategy for windsurfing,
but it's no way to run for the President of the United States.
(Laughter and applause.)

These are not times for leaders who shift with the political winds,
saying one thing one day and another, the next. Our troops, our
allies, and our enemies must know where America stands. The President
of the United States must be clear and consistent.

In his years in Washington, John Kerry has been one of a hundred
votes in the United States Senate, and fortunately on matters of
national security, his views rarely prevailed. But the presidency is
an entirely different proposition. A senator can be wrong for 20
years, without consequence for the nation. But a President -- a
President -- always casts the deciding vote. (Applause.) And in this
time of challenge, America needs -- and America has -- a President we
can count on to get it right. (Applause.)

President Bush knows that our dedicated servicemen and women
represent the very best of the United States of America. (Applause.)
And I want to thank them and all the veterans with us here tonight for
what they've done for all of us. (Applause.)

On Iraq, Senator Kerry has disagreed with many of his fellow
Democrats. But Senator Kerry's liveliest disagreement is with
himself. (Laughter.) His back-and-forth reflects a habit of
indecision, and sends a message of confusion. And it is all part of a
pattern. He has, in the last several years, been for the No Child Left
Behind Act -- and against it. He has spoken in favor of the North
American Free Trade Agreement -- and against it. He is for the Patriot
Act -- and against it. Senator Kerry says he sees two Americas. It
makes the whole thing mutual -- America sees two John Kerrys.
(Laughter and applause.)

Our country requires strong and consistent leadership for our
actions overseas, and the same is true for our policies here at home.
When President Bush and I stood on the inaugural platform on the west
side of the Capitol and took the oath of office, our economy was
sliding into recession. Then, on 9/11, terrorists struck our nation
and shook the economy once again. We faced a basic decision -- to
leave more money with families and businesses, or to take more of the
American people's hard-earned money for the federal government.
President Bush made his choice. And working with Denny Hastert, we
proposed and delivered tax savings to the American people -- not once,
not twice, but three times. (Applause.)

Every American who pays federal income taxes benefited from the
Bush tax cuts, and so has our economy. We've created jobs for the last
12 consecutive months -- a total of about 1.7 million new jobs in the
last year; 144,000 new jobs in the last month alone. (Applause.)
Mortgage rates, and interest rates, and inflation are all low.
Consumers are confident, businesses are investing, and families are
taking home more of what they earn.

We know there are still challenges. The President and I will not
be satisfied until every American who wants to work can find a job.
(Applause.) But this is a strong economy, it's getting stronger. And
the Bush tax cuts are working. (Applause.)

Our accomplishments these last four years have made America safer,
stronger, and better. And in our second term with the Speaker's help,
we will keep moving forward with a pro-growth, pro-jobs agenda. We
will work to make the Bush tax cuts permanent. And to help families
and small businesses, we will lead a bipartisan effort to reform and
simplify the federal tax code. (Applause.)

We will work to end lawsuit abuse. (Applause.) We know it's a lot
easier for America's businesses to hire new workers if they don't have
to keep hiring lawyers. (Applause.) It's not too late to pick another
profession, Ethan. (Laughter.)

We will work for medical liability reform because we know the cost
of malpractice insurance is creating a crisis. (Applause.) America's
doctors should be able to spend their time healing patients, not
fighting off frivolous lawsuits. (Applause.)

President Bush and I will also continue to defend our society's
fundamental rights and values. We stand for a culture of life, and we
reject the brutal practice of partial birth abortion. (Applause.) We
stand strongly for the Second Amendment, and we will defend the
individual right of every American to bear arms. (Applause.) We
believe that our nation is "one nation under God." (Applause.) And we
believe Americans ought to be able to say so when we pledge allegiance
to the flag. (Applause.)

There shouldn't be any question about this -- and there wouldn't be
if we had more reasonable judges on the federal bench. (Applause.) In
his second term, President Bush will continue nominating sensible,
mainstream judges committed to interpreting the law -- not legislating
from the bench. (Applause.)

On issue after issue, President Bush has a clear vision for the
future of our nation. America has come to know him, and I have come to
admire him very much. I watch him at work every day. He's a person of
loyalty and kindness, a man who speaks plainly and means what he says.
I have seen him face some of the hardest decisions that can come to the
man in the Oval Office, and make those decisions with the wisdom and
the humility that Americans expect in their President. (Applause.)

Abroad, under President Bush's leadership, we will use America's
great power to serve great purposes, to protect our homeland by turning
back and defeating the forces of terror, and to spread hope and freedom
around the world. Here at home, we will work with the Speaker to
continue building prosperity that reaches every corner of the land so
that every child in America has a chance to learn, to succeed, and to
rise in the world. (Applause.)

The President and I are honored by your confidence in us, in our
Speaker, and by your commitment to the cause we all share. We will
wage this effort with complete confidence in the judgment of the
American people. The signs are good -- here in Illinois, and even in
Massachusetts. (Applause.) According to a news account, people
leaving the Democratic National Convention in July asked a Boston
policeman for directions. He replied, "Leave here -- and go vote
Republican." (Laughter and applause.)

We are honored to have the support of that police officer and of
all Americans from every calling in life -- Republican, Democrat, and
independent alike. The President and I are grateful to our many
friends across the great state of Illinois for your hard work and
support in making Illinois part of a nationwide effort. We're honored
to work at the side of fine leaders like Denny Hastert, and we're glad
you've sent him to Washington for these many years. I want to thank
you for the tremendous welcome this evening. With your help, there's
no doubt in mind that come November 2nd, we'll see a great victory all
across the nation.